4 Ways to Stay Productive and Healthy While Working from Home

We've come a long way with technology through the years, so much so that it has given many people the flexibility to work from home. The ability to challenge the status quo of traditional office jobs lures many of us to regularly take advantage of this “perk.” At the same time, this work-from-home capability can negatively impact both productivity levels and our overall health. For example, the desire to wander off and mindlessly snack throughout the day, or the tendency to stay holed up in the house far into the evening hours can become a regular occurrence.

How do we make sure our home serves as both an escape from work and one that encourages increased productivity and an overall positive state of well-being? It’s all about finding the right balance between work and play. By incorporating the simple tips below, you’ll be on the right track for staying healthy and productive the next time you’re working from home. 

1. Get plenty of sleep 

We’ve all heard  a lot about the overall health benefits of good sleep. But did you know that according to the RAND research group, the U.S. loses $411 billion each year because of poor productivity due to lack of sleep? In fact, not only is our production impacted, but frequent sleep deprivation can affect our brains in more negative ways than you would think. 

For one, there is a strong connection between lack of sleep and depression. Studies have shown that people who have insomnia are more likely to be both depressed and anxious. Additionally, a good night’s sleep can help prevent the buildup of toxins attributed to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease - ostensibly, these toxins are flushed by the body when we get a decent amount of shut-eye. 

Set yourself up for success from both a work-from-home and a general well-being standpoint by getting between 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Better yet, incorporate the tech aids I've discussed in the past into your routine for an even better slumber. 

2. Invest in the right equipment

If you're anything like me, your computer may be your single most-used piece of equipment during the work day, so make sure it helps you achieve maximum productivity. Do your research and invest in a quality laptop that will allow you to get the job done, especially if you’re working as an entrepreneur or freelancer. Take into consideration key factors like cybersecurity and storage space, both of which you’ll find on laptops like HP's business laptops. It just so happens that 2016 was a record-breaking year for the number of data breaches, so it’s now more important than ever to ensure that your work is always protected. 

If you like to store your information and business files on your laptop, you'd better have backups. Purchase an external hard drive and rent cloud storage to ensure that you’ll have access to your files even if you do experience a tech emergency. Online storage options like Dropbox and Google Drive can provide the necessary backups for one-person businesses or small-business solutions. 

3. Wake up earlier

Some may find it difficult to fully wake up without hitting the snooze button a few times, but this new study may have you rolling out of bed as early as you can. According to Science Daily,  "morning people" tend to make smarter, healthier decisions when it comes to food. 

Not only do our biological clocks influence when we wake up, they also impact our metabolism. By rising early, participants in a recent research study ate a healthier breakfast and continued to make smarter food choices throughout the day unlike their night owl opposites. 

If the thought of waking up earlier is still a little daunting to you, actively attempt to go to bed earlier in the night to make the sound of your alarm just a bit less jarring. If you're an iPhone user, take advantage of iOS 10's "bedtime" feature that reminds you when it's time to go to bed so you get enough sleep before your target bedtime.

4. Make your workspace gadget-free

Our mobile devices and other tech gadgets have grown to become an extension of ourselves in the past decade, amplifying their potential to become never-ending distractions. Whether it’s a phone call from mom, a notification that someone liked your Instagram photo, or even the cheerful ring indicating you’ve just received a text, cell phones and other always-on tech can negatively impact our productivity. 

To solve the problem of being sidetracked by notifications, consider making your workspace a gadget-free area. The average person checks their phone around 110 times per day, so imagine how much time you’d have to get your work done if you didn’t waste it doing just that.

Many phones have "Do not disturb" features that can help by silencing alert and incoming messages. This is very useful, especially if you're about to dig into a project that requires deep concentration.

What about you - do you have any techniques of your own that help you stay healthy and productive while working from home? Share in the comments below! 

Cyber Monday Shopping Tips

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The Monday following the "Black Friday" shopping day has been declared as "Cyber Monday" and millions of people around the world are expected to do much of their holiday shopping online on that day.

With that in mind, here are some tips to help you shop more safely, this holiday season - whether you shop on Cyber Monday or not:

1. Be careful when clicking on email links

This time of year, people are especially vulnerable to "Click now for this amazing offer!" phishing emails. When you receive an enticing email offer, be careful when clicking on that link - what you see on the screen may not match the underlying link. Often, you can hover over the link to see where you're actually being sent but this can sometimes show you a long and confusing link, due to embedded tracking information.

If the sender is one you recognize, and the email is from a vendor to which you've "opted in" to receive email offers, you're probably OK. However, if you have any concerns about the validity of the link, it's better to be safe by typing in the address of the website directly rather than clicking on the link.

Which brings me to tip #2...

2. Use https:// instead of http://

When you're typing the address, you can ensure you get a secure connection by using the "https://" prefix on your web address. The 's' stands for secure, and it encrypts the connection between your browser and the site you're browsing.

More and more websites are offering (or even defaulting to) https: connections, but you can force it by typing the address in yourself. If your site doesn't support https: it is generally OK to browse there, but avoid using insecure sites for shopping, since your payment information  is not secure when you transmit it to the site.

Also, your browser can help you - it will often show a lock icon or other indicator, signifying that you have a secure connection to the website.

Clicking on the website address will show you the full path, which should start with https: as shown above.

3. Shop using official apps

If you shop from your mobile device and the site you're shopping with has an official app, use it. This can help you avoid spoofed sites (i.e. sites masquerading as a legitimate site, but in place to harvest your personal and/or financial information. If you go this route, you're best off going to the main shopping site from your browser, clicking on the app store link from their site, and letting that link redirect you to the correct app on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or whatever app store is used by your device.

4. don't Shop on Public WiFi networks

If you're shopping from a public WiFi network in a coffee shop, airport, library, etc. chances are, your traffic is being transmitted unencrypted (aka "in the clear"), which means an attacker could observe and capture this information. Unfortunately, in some scenarios, this can even expose your information when connected to an https: site due to something known as a "man in the middle" attack.

In general, you're best off not shopping on public, unsecured WiFi networks. If you really want to shop on these networks, and wish to do so in a secure fashion, you can use a VPN (Virtual Private Network service) to encrypt your device's traffic. There are some easy-to-use services that help you do this, such as Cloak (Mac and iOS only); TunnelBear (multi-platform), and WiTopia to name a few.

If you're not using a VPN, avoid sending sensitive information (such as your payment card data) over a public WiFi network.

5. Use a good, up-to-date security solution on your computer

Modern anti-virus and anti-malware technology can help protect you while shopping. Many of them not only scan your computer for malicious programs, they also have add-ins for your browser that are aware of know, malicious web sites and can warn you when you're in a dangerous spot.

Paid software is available for this, as well as free options. If you're using Windows and don't want to pay, the built-in Windows Defender is a good option. Companies like AVG, Avast, and Avira also offer free antivirus solutions for Windows and Mac computers.

Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) also offer free anti-virus or anti-malware licenses to their customers - check with your internet provider to see what is available.

Bottom line, have something in place and keep it up-to-date with current malware and virus definitions.

6. Consider Using Apple Pay or Google Wallet 

Whether you're shopping online or in a store, if Apple Pay or Google Wallet payments are available, they offer a safe way to pay. Due to the way the security model on these systems works, your individual payment card details are never transmitted to the merchant.

Instead a one-time transaction credential is shared to enable the payment and a new one is generated each time you pay. That means that even if an attacker gains access to the transaction information they will be unable to use that information for a second transaction.

I hope you find these tips helpful, and I hope you find some great bargains on Cyber Monday!

Using New Tech for A Better Night's Sleep

Having trouble sleeping is not only frustrating, it's also inconvenient. Your entire day can be ruined by a terrible night of sleep. Some people have more trouble than others, while some simply aren't aware that they're having trouble. Here are a few signs that probably indicate a lack of sleep:

• You're cranky and easily stressed
• You're not as productive as you could be
• You're putting on a few extra pounds.
• You look tired all the time
• Your coffee intake is at an all-time high due to drowsiness

These are some of the most common signs that you might need either more sleep or better-quality sleep. Thanks to the new technology, you can not only get help with your sleep, but you can determine what's really going wrong.

Sleep Masks

The classic sleep mask is always a good go-to. Blocking out light is what signals your brain to start producing melatonin, which is the chemical that makes you fall asleep. However, these can be uncomfortable for people with long lashes or just don't like anything that close to their eyes. There are options like the Glo to Sleep mask that rest above your eyes, so they won't bother you while you're trying to sleep. This particular mask also features blinking blue lines that are meant to train your brain to fall asleep.

When I travel, I usually keep a sleep mask tucked away in my bag just in case you are in a bright hotel room, want to take a mid-day power nap (more on that in a bit), or want to try to grab a few minutes of sleep on the plane.

Supportive Pillows

Any pillow will do when you're trying to sleep, right? Actually, chiropractors recommend using a pillow, like this one, that will hold your head in the correct place and will support your neck while you sleep. Not only will this help you get a more comfortable night's sleep, it will also prevent injuries that will send you to said chiropractors.

I happen to like lots of pillows to provide extra support. I sleep with 3 pillows at home, and always request extra pillows at hotels when I travel (I use the Hilton HHonors app a lot, and you can request extra foam pillows before you even arrive).

Wearables

The thing about changing your habits is that you can't change what you can't measure. If you don't know how bad of a night's sleep you're getting, how are you going to accurately address and fix the problem? While buying a lower-priced wearable will be able to do some of the same things as a more pricey model, your best bet for fixing your sleeping habit is to go for the one that will be able to give you a better sleep reading like the Apple Watch Sport. Taking the plunge and spending more money can seem intimidating, but with the Apple Watch, you have access to a wearable without having to pay for it upfront.

There are also apps that use your phone to track sleep, typically by putting the phone under the mattress. That doesn't really work for me, but I know a few people who swear by it.

Noise Machine

We've all heard about white noise machines, but the Sleep Genius app helps you fall asleep by using what is known as pink noise. Developed by neuroscientists for astronauts, the app uses pink noise as a softer variant of white noise to help lull you to sleep. It also uses neurosensory algorithms to trick your brain into thinking that you're being rocked to sleep, just like a baby.

Not getting enough sleep can be stressful and downright harmful to your health. It may not be your first instinct to look to technology to be a sleep solution, but thanks to the huge strides that humans have taken towards helping each other live better lives, it can be that and more.

Power Napping

When all else fails and you are tired anyway, a 15-20 minute power nap can do wonders. Perhaps you sit in your car for a few minutes during lunch, or find a quiet corner to snooze - it can make a huge difference in your mental state.

To keep from sleeping too long, I use an app called "Pzizz" which is an audio app that has a voice-guided talk track to coach you into a relaxed state for napping. It then plays soothind sounds and music for the duration you specify, and gently wakes you when the time is up. I swear by this app!

By the way, Pzizz also has deep sleep mode that can help you get to sleep, by guiding you into a relaxed state, then fading away without waking you up. This is also helpful while traveling.

If you have other tips, please share them here!

Close Multiple OS X Alerts With One Shortcut

If you're like me, sometimes you come back to your Mac screen and find a bunch of alerts hanging around on the screen - a collection of items ranging from "you didn't eject this disk properly!" warnings to calendar alerts, or alerts from other applications. Look familiar?

I know these alerts are meant to be helpful but when you're in a hurry (and sometimes there are many more than 4 of these), it can be annoying to through the process of clicking on each individual alert box to close them all. And, as far as I know, Apple doesn't provide a way to "mass approve" these alerts.

If that bugs you, too - I have a solution that lets you get rid of all the open alerts in one keyboard shortcut!

Applescript Is for Closers

Using a simple Applescript you can close all open items at once (note that it clicks the first button choice on each of these, so it will Close every alert - if there are any you want to Snooze, Accept, etc. make sure you do that before you run or automate this script).

Here is the script:

my closeNotif()
on closeNotif()
    
    tell application "System Events"
        tell process "Notification Center"
            set theWindows to every window
            repeat with i from 1 to number of items in theWindows
                set this_item to item i of theWindows
                try
                    click button 1 of this_item
                on error
                    
                    my closeNotif()
                end try
            end repeat
        end tell
    end tell
    
end closeNotif

This is pretty straight-forward and doesn't do anything scary - it simply automates clicking on the first button in each of the alerts until there are no more alerts on the screen.

Automation Is Your Friend

To make this really useful, we turn to automation, and there are a couple of options:

• You can save this script as a file on your system, create an Automator Service that calls the script, and then assign a keyboard shortcut to run the Service through your computer's System Preferences. I won't describe the full process here, but you can find instructions for creating such a service elsewhere online.
  • Note: I tried this approach first, but found myself stumbling on a bunch of odd problems related to "Accessibility" permissions with Automator Services - they were a pain to work through.
• My preferred option is to automate this with Keyboard Maestro, which is one of the most useful (and often under-rated) utilities I've ever used.

If you have Keyboard Maestro, the process is pretty easy - you just set up a workflow as seen below, and assign a hotkey to run it (I use Command-Option-0 because it is easy and doesn't conflict with anything on my system:

This is one of my most-used shortcuts - I hope you enjoy it!

Back for Seconds: Why Burglars Will Hit The Same House Twice

In 2015 more than 8 million property crimes were reported to the police, according to data reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI cites that property crimes include larceny-thefts, burglaries and car thefts. These crimes resulted in $14.3 billion in financial losses. A burglary can happen to anyone. Even if you’ve experienced one already. Here’s how you can protect yourself and your home against brash, back-for-seconds, criminals.

Secure Your Entire Home

Many homeowners will take precautions to alarm their homes, but some only secure the front of the home. Only securing the front of the home leaves the back of the house vulnerable to quick-thinking thieves. Gates that lock and deny access to thieves, movement-triggered lighting systems, window and door locks and security cameras can keep not only the front of the house, but the entire home protected against burglars. Lorex technology, a well-known brand in the home security industry, offers a wide variety of security cameras for the home. From weatherproof night vision cameras to high definition styles, you can sleep better at night knowing your home is protected with a security camera system.

Get a Home Security Check

In many areas, you can get your local law enforcement team to stop by your house and perform a home security check. During a home security check, local officers will come to your home and walk the entire house and around your property to identify any weak points in your home security. This service is underutilized but highly suggested. Whether you’re a new homeowner or if you’ve lived in your neighborhood for decades, scheduling a home security check can not only give you a sense of your home’s security, but peace of mind, too. The officers can also give you an idea of the types of crimes that are common in your area, so you can better prepare.

Store Your Outdoor Items Appropriately

You might think that there’s no harm, but items left out on your home’s property can lure thieves looking for "easy pickings." Bicycles, children’s play equipment, yard tools, expensive lawn mowers and other yard accessories are easy targets. And these items can also give thieves a good idea of what’s inside of your home, too. Police officers strongly advise storing these items in a locked shed or secured garage to avoid theft rather than keeping them visible to criminals in your yard.

Use Deterrent Strategies

Investing in a home security system is just one way you can protect your home and assets from thieves. However, there are a handful of additional methods that you can install around your home and property to prevent theft. From placing alarm company, Neighborhood Watch or Operation ID stickers on your doors and in your windows to planting uninviting bushes underneath windows, such as rose bushes or other thorny plants and even having a family dog, can make your home less of a target for criminals. And if you have a home security system, keeping a yard sign advertising that fact can help deter thieves.

Control Your Keys

While it may seem convenient to provide keys to friends, family and others who frequent your home, security experts advise against doing so. You never know whose hands your home’s keys will end up in. And while it may seem logical to provide a set of keys to your babysitter, maids or even contractors working on your home, don’t. Additionally, authorities cite to never leave your keys in your mailbox, underneath your doormats, a rock or other common hiding places around your property, as your keys can easily be found. Some of these may seem like common sense, but people still do these things all the time. If you really need to provide a key to someone, a temporary lock box is often a good compromise since you can bring the lock box back inside when the other person no longer needs access.

Is Your Garage Door Opener An Easy Way In?

One method thieves can use to access your home is to break into a vehicle that contains a garage door opener, use that to open your garage and enter your home that way. Even if the interior door is locked, they can close the garage door and brute force the inner door without worrying about being seen. If you have a garage remote control, either ensure it is not visible from the outside of your car or bring the remote with you when you leave the vehicle. Additionally, if you live in an area prone to break-ins, you may want to rely on the "standalone" garage remote rather than programming your garage code into the garage door opener that is built into your vehicle (note that some newer car models won't open your garage if the key is not present, but older vehicles often function any time you press the button).

These are just a few ideas to help you make your home more burglar-resistant. What do you think? Do you have more ideas?